Synthesis and Properties of Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials Based on Poly(triallyl isocyanurate-silicone)/ n-Octadecane Composites

Abstract

Triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) was modified by hydrogen silicone oil (SO) via hydrosilylation reaction, generating the original TAIC-SO (TS) intermediate. After the cross-linking polymerization of TS (PTS), the shape-stabilized phase change materials (PCMs) consisting of n-octadecane and silicone-modified supporting matrix were first synthesized by an in situ reaction. Remarkably, the novel three-dimensional PTS network effectively prevents the leakage of n-octadecane during its phase transition, solving the prominent problem of solid–liquid PCMs in practical applications. Moreover, n-octadecane is uniformly dispersed in the continuous and high-strength cross-linked network, contributing to excellent thermal reliability and structural stability of PTS/ n-octadecane (TSO) composites. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis of the optimal TSO composite indicates that melting and freezing temperatures are 29.05 and 22.89 °C, and latent heats of melting and freezing are 130.35 and 129.81 J/g, respectively. After comprehensive characterizations, the shape-stabilized TSO composites turn out to be promising in thermal energy storage applications. Meanwhile, the strategy is practical and economical due to its advantages of easy operation, mild conditions, short reaction time, and low energy consumption.